Rick Osterloh Returns To Google, Head Of Unified Hardware Division

There has been quite a number of high-profile changes recently. Not too long ago, Motorola was acquired by Lenovo which led to many wondering what would become of the company going forward. Fast forward to last month and reports came through that Motorola's President, Rick Osterloh, was leaving the company, with no clear word on where he was going or what Osterloh would be doing next. And now we know, as a report out of Re/Code today is stating that Rick Osterloh is heading to Google. More accurately, returning to Google with the information said to be coming directly from a Google rep.

According to the details, Osterloh is not just returning to Google but is being put in charge of a new hardware division. One which will look to unite the various Google hardware aspects. Which obviously includes the Nexus line of devices, as well as a number of additional aspects like “Living Room” which has been referenced a number of times recently. Adding to the list, Osterloh's division will also see anything else that is hardware and Google-related, including Chromecast, OnHub, ATAP, Chromebooks and even Glass. Interestingly, some of these additional hardware components will see their relocation from the Alphabet side of things to the Google side. For instance, OnHub's inclusion from its previously Alphabet led Access company to Osterloh's new division. Likewise, the ATAP inclusion will see aspects like Project Ara and Project Tango now falling under Osterloh and his newer division, with Osterloh reporting directly to Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai.

While it is unclear how this will affect the end-user, the move is a big one and does further highlight Google’s intention to unite their hardware options in to a more structured and unified division. Not to mention, this will also be a massive move for Osterloh who is now technically responsible for all the hardware we will see coming from Google going forward. Chances are more information on this particular move, the direction and the new division will come to light when Google does officially announce the move, or at the very least when Google takes to the stage during their upcoming I/O conference.

John has been writing about and reviewing tech products since 2014 after making the transition from writing about and reviewing airlines. With a background in Psychology, John has a particular interest in the science and future of the industry. Besides adopting the Managing Editor role at AH John also covers much of the news surrounding audio and visual tech, including cord-cutting, the state of Pay-TV, and Android TV. Contact him at [email protected]